Author Archives: birdsinmyviewfinder

We see a lot of shorebirds during migration season. Most only stop over for a while before heading further north to breed. Piping Plovers, for example, do breed along the Massachusetts shore and many beach areas are closed off to protect them. But this Semipalmated Plover will keep moving north to breed in the Arctic.Continue reading “Shorebirds”

Warblers are arriving. These are some of the first I have seen. The first few pictures are representative of what it is like to pursue Warblers. Warblers (and Vireos, Gnatcatchers, Kinglets) are very active and stay in the foliage as they look for insects to sustain them on their long journeys. As a result, mostContinue reading “Early Warblers”

Sparrows may seem to be a bit nondescript but they are more than little brown birds. These are some arriving sparrows that have been sighted in the past week. They all have a distinctive look. Field Sparrows are a small sparrow with a pinkish beak and pinkish legs. The Savannah Sparrow is a bit largerContinue reading “Spring Sparrows”

Migration is well under way and the sightings are coming fast and furious. I will post all the action, starting with the return of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds to my backyard feeder. A male appeared first and these are some photographs of him at the feeder. Note that his throat feathers can take on many shades fromContinue reading “Hummingbird”

We’ve had some cold windy days, followed by a rainy period. The big migration push hasn’t started but there are some scattered sightings so we are hoping for a busy few weeks. In the meantime, here are some birds that have been around. This is a Raven flying through a very cloudy sky. The bigContinue reading “Some Early May Birds”

The first warblers have appeared. These advance scouts foreshadow the main migration in May. These are some photographs from this still early migration season. One of the two early warblers is this Pine Warbler. We hear more of them than we see. The other warbler that we have seen lately is the Palm Warbler. TheContinue reading “More Early Migration”

Everyone is watching for the spring arrivals and the migrants who stop to rest before continuing their trips. We are also getting our last looks at the wintering ducks that are disappearing as they migrate north to breed. These pictures are from Plum Island Sound on the southern end of the island. All the birdsContinue reading “Busy Airspace”

This is a sampling of the first big wave of migrants and summer residents that arrived in the past 7-10 days. The previous post focused on the Kinglets. This post highlights the variety of birds we are seeing. Piping Plovers are selecting nesting sites and restricted areas have been set up on the beaches toContinue reading “Migration – Early Arrivals”

There was a big surge in the spring migration this past week, including large flocks of Hermit Thrush, Northern Flicker and Kinglets. The first shorebirds starting arriving as well, including Yellowlegs and Pectoral Sandpiper. Add in the increased activity and vocalization by our resident birds and it made for a very busy week. I’ll startContinue reading “Migration – Kinglets”

These are photographs from a flooded meadow and a swamp that highlight some of our water loving birds. Great Blue Herons in flight have a prehistoric look. This one is using some feathers to reduce lift as it comes in for a landing, just like spoilers on an airplane. Of course the birds had thisContinue reading “Wetlands”